Store-service apparatus



L. W. CHISM.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. APPLI CATION FILED MAY 4, 1914. RENEWED APR-22,1920,

:d July 27, 1920.

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L. W. CHISM.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1914. RENEWED APR. 22. 1.920.

1,347,498. Patented July 27, 1920.

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-. UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

'LOUIS W. CHISM, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE STEEL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1920.

Application filed May 4, 1914, Serial No. 836,054. Renewed April 22, 1920. Serial No. 375,898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS lV. CHIsM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, (whose post-ofiice address is 40 Taylor St, Springfield, Mass have invented an Improvement in Store- Service Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. V

This invention relates to store service apparatus, and more particularly, though not exclusively, toa receiving and sending sta tion, by means of which the carriers are received from and delivered to the main outgoing and incoming elevated tracks of a cable cash carrier system.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following specification, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of one form of store service apparatus having a receiving and sending station embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale, showing a portion of the main and branch incoming tracks, with the cable and wheels adjacent the juncture of said tracks;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 2, viewed from the right;

. Fig. 4 is a in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the apparatus viewed from the right-hand side of Figs. 1 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail, perspective view showing the portion of the sending and receiving tracks of the station, and illustrating particularly the provision for permitting the removal of the carriers from the receiving tracks and the introduction of the carriers onto the sending track;

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation on an enlarged scale, viewed from the opposite side of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the carrier with its gripping device in en;

plan of the apparatus shown gagement with the cable just prior to its disengagement therefrom by thegripper operating cam;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan of the carrier, and a portion of the track as seen in Fig. 7, except that the carrier is moved along into position with its gripping device engaged by the grip-releasing cam;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the parts shown in F ig. 8, but with the gripping device released from the cable;

F ig, 10 is a detail view at an enlarged scale, illustrating the action of the cablegripping lever and its cooperating springI eferring to the drawings, and to the specific embodiment of my invention which I have selected for illustrative purposes, I have there shown a store service apparatus having a main outgoing or forwarding track 15 leading from a usual cashiers station (not shown), and an incoming or return track 16 leading to the cashiers station. These tracks may be composed of rails of any suitable cross-sectional shape, as, for example, cylindrical rods, herein two for eachtrack and suitably supported in any usual or desired manner. Associated with these tracks is a suitable driving means, herein an endless motor or carrier-propelling cable 17, which in practice will be suitably tensioned and driven.

The tracks 15 and 16 are adapted to sustain and guide suitable carriers 18, having provision for engaging the tracks and heren consisting of pairs of guides 19 and 20 von opposite sides of the carrier, separated by grooves 21 adapted to receive the rails of the track. The carriers are provided with suitable cable-gripping device s, herein comprising afixed arm 22 and a pivoted arm 23, the latter being pivoted at 24; to the body of the carrier, and preferably provided with a cam 25 engaging a spring 26 serving to maintain the arm in either a closed position as shown in Fig. 8, or an open position as shown in-Fig. .1.

WVhen the pivoted arm is in its closed position, the spring serves to supply the necessary pressure to urge the arm against the cable 17, and consequently pinches or grips the cable against the fixed arm 22. When the pivoted arm is in its open position, the spring serves to maintain the arm in such position out of engagement with the cable, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, 9 and 10, until it is closed byan appropriate cam. Herein the arm 23 is provided with a cablereceiving notch or depression 27, as is usual with devices of this character, but the arm 22, instead of being notched orgrooved, is provided preferably with a substantially flat cable-engaging face 28, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

posed in a horizontal plane, so that the carrier travels flatwise thereon, while the rails "of the track 16 are preferably, though not necessarily, disposed in a vertical plane, so

that the carrier travels edgewise thereon. It will be understood that in practice, the tracks 15 and 16 may connect one or more drop stations with the cashiers station, but for the purpose of the present invention, it

20 will sufiice to show. and describe merely one of these drop stations. It will be understood that the tracks 15 and 16 will in p actice be located at some distance above the counters of the store, usually a distance of I several feet.

I Wlll now describe the means by WlllCll.

the carriers are diverted from the main outgoing track into the drop station, and returned therefrom to the main incoming track.

Herein the "drop station comprises a branch outgoing or receiving track 29, extending from a point adjacent the main outgoing track 15 to a point adjacent the counter (not shown). This track may be otherwise appropriately constructed, but herein is provided with a horizontal portion 30, herein located above the track 15, and a vertical portion 31 leading downwardly to 40 the counter.

In connection with the receiving track 29, I may employ suitable means for selectively and automatically diverting from the main outgoing 01' forwarding track 15 such of the carriers as are intended for this particular dro station. For this ouriose I ma employsuitable means to engage carriers of a "certain configuration, size or other characterlstlc'. Herein, the carrler-dwerting means "just referred to comprises switch or diverting tracks 3232, arranged in pairs, two on each side of the carrier, and separated from each other by a slot 33, which receives the supplemental'guides or lugs provided on the carrier 18. p

These guides, as usual, will be placed at various heights upon the'carriers, according andthe diverting switch tracks 32-32 will be correspondingly placed as to height from particular station will pass from left to.

'right- (Figs. 1 and 4t) beneath the diverting .6501} switching tracks 32, and will pass along Herein, the rails of the track 15 are dis to the station for which they are intended. Such of the carriers as are intended for this particular station will bediv'erted from the or principal guides 2020 to clear such track. V V I When the carrier is thus diverted from the main outgoing track, it still maintains its hold upon the cable for a'time, thus lifting'the cable from its normal position, as

shown in Fig. 7, and passes into cooperation with the horizontal portion .3 0 of' the receiving track 29,as clearly shown'in Fig. 7,

the pairs of guides19 and 20 receiving the rails of said track, as clearly shown therein. After the carrier passes into cooperation with the track 29, as ust descrlbed, it passes outofcooperation with the switch or divert ing tracks 32, as will be'evident from an inspection of Fig. 7, At this point, the carrler is disengaged from the cable by suitable. ,means, herein a cam 36, which 1s engaged by the cable gripping arm 23 (see Fi 3), and

is swung rearwardly due to the forward mowill then snap back into its normal path.

Since the arm 22 is provided with the flat 7 The cam 36 will in practice be supported in any usual or desired manner, as by means of a bracket 37, which herein also serves as one ofthe supports of the tracks 32, and the horizontal portion 30 of the track 29. In

connection with the tracks 32, I may employ,

if desired, a suitable guard rail 38, serving to steady the carrier and maintain its proper 'engagement with said track's.

l V hen the carrier is released from its driving engagement with the cablepasjus t deseribed,.it travels by its moment-rundown the receiving track 29, and there may be provided a suitable buffer 39 to receive its impact. The receiving track 29 'may have suitable provision for the removal of the carrier therefrom, herein consisting of offset to the station for which they are intended, portions 10-l0, through which the guides 20 of 'the carrie'r. may be withdrawn in a 'wellknown manner, by lifting the carrier and rocking it laterally: V g

The apparatus as thus far. described is merely atypical example of a welllr'nown store service apparatus, andfl wish' to be understood that my present invention 18 not necessarily limited in its application to this type of apparatus, nor to any of its details.

1 will now describe one preferred form or embodiment of my present invention, as employed in connection with the apparatus already described.

Leading upwardly from the counteris a sending or branch incoming track 41, having suitable provision for the introduction of the carrier, herein oilfset portions 4242, similar to those of the receiving track hereinbefore described. This sending track extends to a point adjacent the main incoming or return track 16, and herein at its juncture therewith enters into the main return track as a branch, the main incoming track being herein provided at the juncture with an interruption or gap 43 in its lower rail, where the branch track rounds into the main track, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. If the apparatus employed were of the type wherein the rails of the main incoming track are disposed in a horizontal plane, it will be obvious that both rails of the track might be provided with an interruption or gap for the entrance of the carrier from the branch incoming track. In either event, it 7 is desirable to provide means for supporting the carrier as it passes the juncture of the branch and main tracks in traveling along the latter, or in other words, a supplemental track or guide to support the carrier as it passes across the gap or interruption in the principal rails of themain incoming track. This supplemental guide or track may take other forms, but herein I employ a supplemental guide 44, which it may be said in a sense bridges the gap or interruptions, in that it extends part way across the gap and supports the carrier as the latter passes across the gap, and until it arrives in a position where it will again engage the lower rail of the main incoming track, or at least until it shall have arrived at a position where its momentum will safely 'carry it beyond the gap into engagement with the lower rail of the main incoming track.

Preferably the upper edge of the supplemental track or guide engages the lower face of the fixed gripper arm 22 of the carrier. This construction possesses the advantage of providing supplemental guiding means requiring no moving parts. This is possible because the supplemental guide, although enabling a carrier upon the main incoming track to clear the gap, safely terminates at such point as to permit a car rier to pass from the branch incoming track onto the main incoming track, without interference from the supplemental ghidef This will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 2. The supplemental guide may be otherwise appropriately supported, but herein is secured to a bracket 45.

As a means for driving the carriers up-.

wvardly along the branch incoming or sending track, I have herein provided the driv ing or propelling cable with a looped portion 46, which may take other forms, but herein appears asa closed loop having a downward lead 47 and an upward lead 48, the latter being utilized to impart the desired upward motion to the carriers. Herein the two loops cross each other adjacent the casing 54, which latter will in practice be placed adjacent the counter. The sheave wheels 49 and 50 are herein rotatably mounted on 'a spindle 55, which may be supported on a suitable bracket 56, the latter in the present instance being utilized as a part of the supporting means for the branch incoming or receiving track 29.

When the car'rier is introduced upon the rails of the branch incoming or sending track 41 at the openings or ofi'set portions 42, its cable gripping device should be caused to grip the cable so as to drive the carrier. For this purpose, I preferably provide a gripper actuating cam 57 (see Figs. 1, 5 and 6), which isadapted to engage the cable gripping arm 23 and throw the same from the position shown in Fig. 1 into operative engagement with the cable. The power for forcing the carrier against the cam as just described is herein furnished by the hand of the operator. Vhen the carrier is thus engaged by the cable, it is driven upwardly along the vertical portion of the branch incoming or sending track 41, and is carried onto the main incoming track 16, from whence it will pass to the cashiers station (not shown). As a means for preventing any possibility of the carrier escaping laterally at the juncture of the main and branch tracks, I have herein provided a guard-plate 58, placed in a vertical plane at one side of the main incoming track (see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). 7

It will be remembered that a carrier in traveling from a given drop station to the cashiers station passes by any intervening drop stations, without descending into such stations. This feature has several notable advantages, among them being the fact that the carrier is required to travel a much less distance than in systems of the type in which the incoming carrier is obliged to descend into each andlall of'the intervening drop stations on its wayto the cashiers station. Another advantage is that the carrier cannot be stopped and tampered with at the intervening Stations. Still ano her advantage is the elimination of the noise as well as the wear and tear upon the parts, caused j by the carriers traveling through all the branch stations. It will be evident that, owing to the provision of the loop already described in connect on with the station, a

carrier passing such station along the main incomingtrack must be disengaged from and reengaged with the driving cable at opposite sides, respectively,of the looped portion. To this end,rthe incoming carrier on the main incoming track 16, as it nears the loop, is disengagedfrom the cable by cam 59, which engages the pivoted cable desired, the speed of the carrier in approach ing this cam may be increased by providing the. main incoming track 16 with a depressed portion 61, commencing at a point ad acent the releasing cam- 59. The normal running position of the lower strand of the main incoming portion of the cable is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in full lines in Fig. 3. When, however, the carrier which has been previously engaged with the cable is traveling along the main incoming track, the cable is lifted from its normal position and drawn toward the right into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, H

but when the carrier reaches the cam 59, and the latter'disengages the gripper from the cable, the latter will snap downwardly toward the left (Fig 3) to a positionwhere it will be out of the way of a carrierfrising from the branch incoming or sending track 41 onto themain incoming track 16. When the carrier reaches the cam 60, the relation of the cable to the track and the cam is such that the latter will reengage the gripper with the cable, and the latter in traveling toward the left (Fig. 1 will be lifted to a point midway the rails of the main incoming track. Subsequently, after the passage of the carrier, the cable will again descend to its normal level, as shown in Fig. .1.

The general operation of the specific embodiment of my invention hereinbefore described is as follows:

The carrier: containing the money and sales slip is introduced onto the branch incoming or sending track 41, where it is engaged with the cable and is driven along the branch incoming track into cooperation with the main jincoming track, along which it passes to the cashiers station (not shown), 'at some distant point, as is customary; but

after the change is 'made, andthe carrier is placedan cooperation with the main outgoing track,.thecarrier travels along the or receiving track, from whence it may be removed in the manner hereinbefore described. Y

H1118 I have herein. shown and described one specific form or embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the con struction andai'rangement incidental to one specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiment herein shown, but that extensive deviations from the illust 'ated form or embodiment of the invention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I, claim-and desire by Letters Patent to procure is j 1. A store service apparatus comprisin in combination, a branch track; a main track having an interruption at its juncture with .said branch track; a carrier having main guides for cooperation with saidtracks and a supplemental guide; means for propelling said carrier along said main track past said juncture; and means to cooperate with said supplemental guide to support the carrier in its travel across said interruption.

2. An overheadcarrier system comprising,

in combination, a main line track having a pair of rails one-of which has aiga-p in itslength,-a branch track opening laterally to the main track having a pair of rails terminating at the ends of the: gap and guards independent of saidtracks disposed at each side thereof at the ga'pa'nd between which the carrier passes.

3.. An overhead carrier system comprising,

in combination, a main line track having a pair of. rails one of which has agap in its length, a branch track opening laterally to the main t 'ack having a pair of rails terminating at the ends of the gap andlguards independent of said tracks disposed at each side thereof at the gap and between which the carrier passes, one'such guard adapted to underride a portion of a throughbound carrier and support it at the gap and constructed to permlt the passage of a carrier along the branch and part of the main track.-

l. An overhead carrier system comprising, in combination, a main line track having a pair of rails disposed in a substantially vertical plane to receive a carrier between them,

the-lower of which rails has a gap inits' length, a branch track having a pair of upstanding rails terminating at the ends of the gap and a fixed support laterallyadjacent and paralleling said main track positioned to underride aporti-on of a throughbound carrier and support it at the gap and con- 7 structed to permit the passage of a carrier along the branch and part of the main track.

5. An overhead carrier system comprising, in combination, a main line trackhaving a pair of rails disposed in a substantially vertical plane toreceive a carrier between them,

the lower of which rails has a gap in its length, a branch track having a pair of upstanding rails terminating at the ends of the gap, a fixed support laterally adjacentand paralleling said maintrack positioned to underride a portion of a throughbound car- 6. An overhead carrier system comprising, in combination, a main line track having a pair of rails disposed inia substantially Vertical plane to receive a carrier between them, the lower of which rails has a gap in its length, a branch track having a pair of upstanding rails terminating at the ends of the gap and guards adjacent the gap at opposite sides of the plane defined by said track to prevent carriers from leaving the tracks laterally thereof as-they pass the gap.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS WV. CHISM.

lVitnesses:

HERBERT G. CHASE, LOUIS A. JoNEs. 

